Tag: environment

bookmark_borderMontgomery County Climate Leadership

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For the fifth consecutive year, Montgomery County Community College will participate in RecycleMania, an eight-week nationwide contest during which colleges and universities compete to see who can reduce, reuse and recycle the most campus waste. The 2012 RecycleMania tournament runs from Feb. 5 through April 6.

This year, for the first time, MCCC qualifies to compete in RecycleMania’s Competition Division based on the way its waste materials are collected and measured. Previously, MCCC participated in the contest’s Benchmark Division.

Each week the College’s facilities team will collect and weighs recyclable materials – including paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and plastics #1-7 – and will enter the totals into RecycleMania’s database.

In 2011, MCCC’s West and Central campuses ranked second and third in Pennsylvania for their cumulative recycling rates of 38.64 percent and 34.68 percent, respectively. When compared to Benchmark Division institutions nationally, the West Campus ranked 27th in the country and the Central Campus ranked 33rd.

Nationally, 630 colleges and universities from across the county recovered 91 million pounds of recyclable material in 2011. This prevented the release of more than 127,553 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere.

MCCC was among the first institutions to sign American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007. The College’s sustainability efforts are led by a team of faculty, students, administrators, support staff, alumni and community members that comprise the President’s Climate Commitment Advisory Council.

In recognition of its deep commitment to sustainability, MCCC was one of only five institutions in the country to earn a 2011 Award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature.

To learn more about MCCC’s Sustainability Initiative, visit its “Think Green” blog at mc3green.wordpress.com.

RecycleMania, Inc. is governed by a steering committee made up of collegiate recycling managers from participating institutions. The competition is managed by Keep America Beautiful, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program and the College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC). Sponsors include The Coca-Cola Company, Waste Management, SCA Tissue, Alcoa, America Forest & Paper Association and HP.

For information on the national effort, visit www.recyclemaniacs.org.

by Alana J. Mauger

bookmark_borderFree Coffeehouse In Ambler

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You are invited to Ambler Church of the Brethren’s next coffeehouse.

Have you been waiting in traffic? Want to know how we can get around better?

Andy Sharpe, the Communications Director at the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers (DVARP), will be speaking about the importance of mass transit in Montgomery County on Friday, February 17th, at 7:30 pm, at the Ambler Church of the Brethren. He will discuss his organization’s recent work to improve travel for everyone in our area. In particular, Mr. Sharpe will concentrate on the benefits of mass transit when it comes to congestion, the environment, and the cost of commuting. He will also focus on local rail and bus lines, especially the Lansdale/Doylestown Regional Rail line. In terms of DVARP’s work, he will mention its efforts in using on-line social media, reforming SEPTA fare payment, and working with SEPTA Customer Service to improve the average rider’s interaction with SEPTA.

Local musicians, including Andrew Hoy, Director and Violin Teacher at the Ambler Music Academy, (website, www.amblermusicacademy.com,) will provide music.

The church is located at 351 E Butler Avenue, Ambler. The building is one block west of Bethlehem and Butler Pike, where Butler Pike intersects with Rosemont Avenue. Parking is behind the building in the church lot. For more information please call the church at 215-646-1190. Refreshments will be served and the event is free. Donations are appreciated.

I hope to see you there.

bookmark_borderPhiladelphia See The Light

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Philadelphia, PA – The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) has implemented two ordinances designed to encourage the use of solar panels systems in Philadelphia. Sponsored by Councilman Jim Kenney, the two ordinances amend the Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code to greatly reduce the costs of securing both electrical permits and building permits for solar panel systems (also known as photovoltaic systems).

Licenses and Inspections Commissioner Fran Burns stated, “These changes are not only part of the ongoing reform and focus on supporting business development, but also a step towards ensuring a sustainable and competitive future for Philadelphia and its residents. I am excited to support this energy option since solar panel systems decrease dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the risks of rising energy costs in the long-run.”

Commenting, Councilman Jim Kenney said, “Today we move Philadelphia in the right direction, towards a more sustainable and greener future, while also encouraging economic development and job creation. As we continue down this green path, we must be open to further innovation and development of cleaner fuel sources.”

Passed by Council and signed into law by Mayor Nutter in the 2011 Term, Bills 110533 and 110829 amend the Code to exclude the costs of solar panels and inverters in calculating electrical permit and building permit fees when a photovoltaic system is installed.

In 2009, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released the landmark Greenworks report, setting a variety of sustainability goals, including a key target of purchasing and generating 20 percent of electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative energy sources. The passage and implementation of these code amendments are important steps towards meeting the vision of Greenworks — to make Philadelphia the Greenest City in the United States.